Because it only lives in the mountains, it's hard to see unless you go hiking, so I think it was pretty special for me to see it!
The Swinhoe's pheasant usually eats fruits and seeds that grow on plants in the mountains. They can also sometimes eat insects, of which there are many of in those mountains... we had to put on a lot of bug spray! Most pheasant birds live on the ground, instead of trees. This means that it walks and runs most of the time, but it can fly short distances when it needs to avoid predators. It usually hides and lives in the plants and under the trees in the mountains. It is very good at hiding itself in its environment and can run pretty fast, from what I have seen!
The Swinhoe's pheasant has a few predators. Some eagles, badgers, and civets (think of a mix between a small cat and a ferret) think of the pheasant as food.
Because the pheasant is a protected species, we are not too worried about it, because many people make sure that they are safe and not harmed. One problem, though, is that the pheasant's habitat is shrinking because of people living and using the local land to build and farm close by. So while the pheasant is not endangered, it is considered "threatened." This means that it lives in a pretty small area and it could become endangered if its habitat shrinks more.
The good news, though, is that most mountains here are located in National Parks, and they are very safe and protected places in which the birds can live freely. I hope that the pheasant stays safe because it was so neat to see and learn about!
